Ochrolechia insularis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ochrolechia insularis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Pertusariales |
| Family: | Ochrolechiaceae |
| Genus: | Ochrolechia |
| Species: | O. insularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ochrolechia insularis | |
Ochrolechia insularis is a rare species of crustose lichen in the family Ochrolechiaceae.[1] Found only on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, it forms an intricate crust on granite rocks near the sea, providing a habitat for a diverse range of species.
Ochrolechia insularis, formally described by Gintaras Kantvilas and John Elix, is a seemingly rare species of lichen with no known apothecia. The species was first discovered on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, at Cape Willoughby, in September 2009. The specific epithet insularis refers to the species' habitat on Kangaroo Island, which is located off the southern coast of mainland Australia.[2]
Description
The Ochrolechia insularis lichen forms an irregular crust, varying in thickness from 0.3 to 4.5 mm, with a smooth, glossy, and white upper surface. Its appearance is characterised by intense papillae, nodules, or plicae. Its cortex, comprising irregularly orientated, branched and anastomosing, short-celled hyphae, is 15–30 μm thick. The photobiont cells, concentrated in a subcortical layer, are spherical, with diameters ranging from 6 to 15 μm.[2]
The lichen's secondary chemistry includes gyrophoric acid, lecanoric acid, and 2'-O-methyllecanoric acid, with reactions including K−, KC+ red, C+ red, P−, and UV− for both cortex and medulla. Ochrolechia insularis is morphologically similar to O. tartarea, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling) species, but differs in its smooth, glossy upper surface and lack of a prothallus.[2]